Red Cross Deployed Boats to Rescue Victims Trapped By Lokoja Flood

The Nigeria Red Cross Society said on Sunday that it had deployed three boats three boats to the riverine areas of Ibaji Local Government Council of Kogi, to rescue trapped flood victims  taking refuge on tree tops.Mr Mustafa Allah-Dey, the Chairman of the state branch of the Society, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja that the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) released the boats for the rescue operation.

Nustafa said that men of the Nigerian Navy and officials of  NEMA, SEMA and the state Ministry of Environment were also involved in the operation, adding that many of the victims were said to be in life threatening situations.

He said that the people should be blamed for their present predicament, adding that they failed to heed several warnings to quit their houses to avoid being trapped.

The chairman said that he did not have the figure of exact number of people trapped and that no report of casualties  been received as at the time of this report. He only described the situation in Ibaji as “very terrible”.

Meanwhile, the traffic gridlock on Lokoja-Abuja road has become more chaotic with vehicles forming long queues on both sides of the road.

The queue at the Lokoja end of the road has extended to Obajana village, about 15 kms drive to the Lokoja city centre.

Mr Isaac Martins, the Head of operations of the State Sector Command of the FRSC, who confirmed this , said that there was not much the commission could do to help the situation.

He said the problem was particularly with the small cars, adding that it takes officials and youths assisting them an average of 20 minutes to help a car out of the water.

“ Vehicles are moving but they are moving slowly, that is just the situation at hand now, Martins said.

He appealed to motorists to make use of alternative roads pending the time the flood would be over.